What the Heck is Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling sounds more like something to do with how gasoline is made than it does a health or beauty regimen. For the longest time I swiftly scrolled past it until I searched "how to prevent my gum-line from receding." Since I had coconut oil on hand, I thought I would give it a try. For the first time since I've been having gum issues, I was able to floss without a bloody mess! So what is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is a mouth cleansing alternative to mouthwash.  The idea is that instead of vigorously swishing chemicals around ones mouth to kill germs and bacteria, an oil sits in the mouth as most of the toxins are slowly pulled out of your gums, teeth, tongue and cheeks and are trapped in the oil that you spit out. I hear it's a great bad-breath remedy, which makes  sense when you think about how it's working. It also has other benefits such as strengthened gums, less sensitive teeth – which are the few that I have experienced!

It is however, kind of gross waiting around with a mouthful of oil that continues to expand and more is drawn into the gooey mess. My first time I made the mistake of using too much oil to start with and I foamed out of my mouth after 10 minutes. I then took the opportunity to floss, and did so with such ease, and tried the oil pulling again with a smaller amount. My gums felt so healthy even immediately after, I had no issues flossing. My teeth felt stronger and felt cleaner longer. Normally I build plaque quite quickly after brushing/flossing and it felt like I could go to the end of the day before I felt the buildup return.My gum color also perked up a bit, looking healthier (more pink less dark red).

Just make sure if you are using a semi-solid oil such as coconut that you dont spit it down the drain. As it cools, its going to solidify again and gunk up the pipes, so it's best to spit into the garbage bin.